Portable basketball system having dual ballast tanks movable between compact and expanded positions

ABSTRACT

The ballast system for a portable basketball system is composed of dual ballast fillable tanks, which together form the base for supporting the pole, backboard and goal. The dual tank system includes a primary tank and a secondary tank cooperatively configured such that the secondary tank may be disposed in one position for compact shipping/storage and in another position to ensure stability during play. In particular, the secondary tank is centrally disposed within the dimensions of the primary tank during shipping. During play, the secondary tank is repositioned in a manner that elongates the primary tank to increase the footprint of the portable basketball system and concentrate the ballast of the secondary tank at the rear of the base.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of: 1) application Ser. No.08/593,322, filed Jan. 31, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,047, which is acontinuation-in-part of allowed application Ser. No. 08/190,914, filedFeb. 9, 1994 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,339 and of allowed application Ser.No. 08/337,884 filed Nov. 14, 1994; now U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,480; and 2)allowed application Ser. No. 08/337,884, the disclosures of each ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention generally relates to portable basketball systems and, moreparticularly, to a portable basketball system having dual ballast tankswhere one of the tanks is movable between a compact position forshipping/storage and an expanded position providing a larger footprintto provide greater support and stability during play.

2. Related Art

Various types of portable basketball systems have been proposed and usedin the past. Such proposals have recognized that stability, and in someinstances portability, are desirable characteristics. However, stabilityand portability can present conflicting design considerations.Presently, to provide both stability and portability, portablebasketball systems have a complex structural arrangement and a largerbase, both of which are undesirable characteristics with respect tomanufacture, cost efficiency, and storage/shipping.

These problems may be present to some degree in smaller applicationslike pool side and youth sports products, however, overcoming theconflicting design considerations of stability and portability is a moredifficult task in designing larger units for adults and regulation play,which must be able to withstand heavier loads and more aggressiveconditions. Moreover, the recent trend towards using larger and largerbackboards in portable systems designed for regulation play hasexacerbated these problems.

Conventionally, portable basketball systems of this type have includedseveral main components: a basketball backboard supporting a basketballgoal and a net; a pole and extension arm, elevator, or other mechanismfor supporting the backboard on the pole; and a base for supporting thepole. Typically, ballast material such as water or sand is provided ontop of or inside the base section to weigh down the unit, and providethe requisite stability during use. An example of a support system inwhich weights are provided on top of a base is disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 4,869,501 to Anastasakis. An example of one of the first portablesystems having ballast inside a base is described in the assignee'sprior U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,407 to Fitzsimmons et al.

In Fitzsimmons et al. '407, a hollow tetrahedral base supports the poleand has an interior space for receiving ballast material. The supportpole is secured at an angle at a rear portion of the base, so that thebackboard mounted on the pole extends beyond the base and over theplaying surface. A roller provided in a recess on a leading edge of thebase facilitates moving the unit from one location to another. While thesupport assembly described in Fitzsimmons et al. '407 worked well andwas portable, the size of the tetrahedral base made it inconvenient tostore and ship in practice, even though the base consisted of twosmaller symmetrical sections.

An improvement over this portable goal assembly is described in U.S.Pat. No. 5,415,393 to Fitzsimmons et al., also developed by the assigneeof this application. Like the above-described unit, Fitzsimmons et al.'393 utilizes a hollow base that is filled with ballast material and thesupport pole is mounted on a rear portion of the base at an angle.However, the base of the '393 patent is much smaller in height andflatter than the prior tetrahedral base design. Moreover, the base ismade from a single body rather than in two sections, and a separatesupport arm for the pole formed as a planar member is pivotally attachedto the front end of the base. The support arm could be collapsed ontoand nested on top of the base, as shown in FIGS. 1-2 of the '393 patent,thereby enabling the two-piece support system to occupy a smaller spacewhen disassembled than when assembled, without sacrificing the stabilityneeded for use. Thus, in practice, the unit of the '393 patent waseasier to ship and store than that in the original '407 patent.

A further improved portable goal system is manufactured and sold by theassignee of this application under the CENTER COURT name. The CENTERCOURT portable unit is similar to that disclosed in the '393 patent inmany respects, including the base, which also is substantially flat andhollow, the rearwardly disposed angled pole, and the support polepivotally attached to the front end of the base. However, the supportpole in the CENTER COURT design is not a planar support arm, as in the'393 patent. Instead, two individual support arms formed as struts arepivotally attached to opposite sides of the front end of the base. Thestrut members are a less expensive alternative to the planar support armof the '393 patent, and do not result in an appreciable loss of overallstability. Thus, the CENTER COURT unit has the advantage of beinglighter in weight and more compact than the portable system of the '393patent, without sacrificing stability.

Examples of other conventional, but less desirable, portable basketballsystems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,259,612, 5,248,140 and,5,354,049 to Matherne et al.; and 5,556,088 to Mower et al. Thesepatents disclose portable units also having a hollow base into whichballast material, such as water or sand, is disposed. However, in thesepatents, the pole is mounted vertically in the front portion of thebase, and the support arms extend at an angle from the pole to the rearof the base. By setting the pole in the front of the center of gravityof the base in these units, it is easier to topple or "pullover" theseunits than the rear mounted pole units described above when applyingdownwardly directed force on the rim of the goal, which is a standardway to measure the stability of a portable unit.

Recently, less expensive portable basketball systems havingfront-mounted poles have become popular. One known inexpensive portablebasketball system addresses this forward "pullover" problem experiencedwith a front-mounted pole by concentrating ballast in the rear of thebase. In particular, a rearwardly extending base is formed by a metalframe with a tray at the rear. Two woven bags are provided, each to befilled with approximately 60 pounds of sand. The sand bags arepositioned in the rear tray to stabilize the portable basketball system.However, because the ballast is rearwardly disposed, the system has atendency to pullover backward.

An improved inexpensive, rear-concentrated portable system ismanufactured and sold by the assignee of this application under the EZCOURT name. The EZ COURT system includes a base with a metal frame baseand uses two ballast fillable tanks rearwardly mounted to the frameinstead of sandbags. The frame expands outwardly and rearwardly from thepole. Thus, relatively wide ballast fillable tanks are used toconcentrate ballast in the rear.

In the foregoing and other conventional goal units, achieving thegreatest amount of stability, as measured by the amount of "pullover"force, should always be one of the paramount objects of a portablebasketball system manufacturer. One approach to achieve this object issimply to use as much ballast as is practical. However, there aredrawbacks to this approach, in that the more ballast to be used, thelarger the base must be to accommodate the ballast. In the prior designsin which the base is hollowed to receive ballast, an increase in theamount of ballast necessitates an increased interior volume for thebase, which can be accomplished by increasing the surface area, i.e. thefootprint, of the base or its height. In the prior designs in whichballast sits on top of the base, it is likely necessary to provide agreater surface area for the base or to increase its strength toaccommodate increased ballast. Increasing the size and/or strength ofthe base, in either type of design, disadvantageously increases theshipping costs, and increases the amount of storage space the unit willoccupy.

One portable basketball system manufactured and sold by the assignee ofthis application under the HYDRO name, and which also is the subject ofparent application Ser. No. 08/593,322, addresses these competingconcerns by providing a separate ballast tank engageable with anon-ballast fillable base in two different positions. In one position,the separate ballast tank is engaged with the base to produce a compactconfiguration for shipping/storage and in the second position the tankis engaged with the base in an expanded position providing an increasedfootprint for greater support and stability for play.

Although this unit works well and achieves advantages over the priorart, there remains a need for a portable basketball system that can beshipped even more compactly, and can support the pole, backboard, andgoal in an even more stable position during play without the danger ofthe portable basketball system tipping or moving than heretoforeachievable. More particularly, there is a need for a portable basketballsupport system that provides greater stability and can carry heavierloads than heretofore practical without increasing the shipping/storagefootprint of the system, and without sacrificing portability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention meets these needs while avoiding the drawbacks anddisadvantages of the prior systems by providing a dual ballast tankfillable base for a portable basketball system. The dual tanks areengageable in a first position when the unit is assembled for use and asecond position for shipping or storage that occupies less space thanthe first position. In the assembled configuration, the ballast memberpreferably extends beyond the rear of the base to increase the pulloverforce required to topple the unit and provide more stability. A supportpole preferably is mounted at the rear of the base. Thus, by extendingthe secondary ballast tank beyond the rear of the primary ballast tank,both the advantages of rearwardly disposed ballast and a rearwardlydisposed pole may be achieved.

In the reduced volume storage/shipping position, the secondary ballasttank may be nested and retained within the profile of the primaryballast tank. The total space occupied by the primary and secondaryballast tanks when nested is thus reduced as compared to the spaceoccupied when expanded and assembled for use. The portable supportsystem of the invention can thus provide greater stability during play,while occupying less space when shipped or stored than would be possiblein the previous conventional designs providing comparable performance.

More specifically, in one aspect of the invention, the portablebasketball base for supporting a basketball goal system includes a firstballast fillable member and a second ballast fillable member. The secondballast fillable member is engageable with the first ballast fillablemember in a first position defining a compact configuration and a secondposition defining an expanded configuration. The first ballast fillablemember has an exterior contour adapted to receive the second ballastfillable member in either of the compact and the expandedconfigurations. For example, the exterior contour of the first ballastfillable member may include any combination of an indentation, a recess,a notch and an opening to receive the second ballast fillable member.Accordingly, the compact configuration defines a first footprint for thebasketball goal system and the expanded configuration defines a secondfootprint for the basketball system that is larger than the firstfootprint. Either or both of the first and second ballast fillablemembers has a pole mount, including an inclined surface for mounting thepole at an angle. The first and second ballast fillable members areremovably secured to each other by a connector, which may include thesame member connecting the pole to the base.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a portable basketball systemsupport including a ballast fillable base. The ballast fillable base hasan exterior contour adapted to receive a ballast fillable adapter in afirst disposition and a second disposition. The first dispositionoccupies a first dimension and the second disposition occupies a seconddimension less than the first dimension. The ballast fillable adapter ispreferably disposed in the exterior contour of the ballast fillablebase.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a kit of basketball parts isprovided for disposition within a relatively flat shipping container andcapable of assembly into a basketball system. The kit of basketballparts includes: a first ballast fillable member having a height, awidth, and a depth defining a cubic volume; and a second ballastfillable member adapted to be received by the first ballast fillablemember without substantially increasing the first cubic volume.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a portable basketball systemincluding a pole; a basketball backboard and goal assembly connectablewith the pole; and a ballast fillable base capable of assembly with thepole and the backboard and goal assembly to form the basketball system.The base supports the pole in a stationary disposition and is connectedto the pole such that the basketball backboard and goal assembly issuspended at an elevation above the base. The ballast fillable base hasan exterior contour engageable with a ballast distribution member in afirst configuration and a second configuration occupying less space thanthe first configuration. The basketball system further includes aballast distribution member disposed in the exterior contour of theballast fillable base.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method ofdistributing ballast for a base of a portable basketball system isprovided. The method includes the steps of positioning a first ballastfillable member of a basketball system on a support surface, andengaging a second ballast fillable member with the first ballastfillable member such that a portion of the second ballast fillablemember is disposed exterior to the first ballast fillable member. Thesecond ballast fillable member is positioned preferably at a rear end ofthe basketball system; and a portion of the second ballast fillablemember is nested in an exterior contour of the first ballast fillablemember.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a method of packaging abase for a portable basketball system. The method includes the steps ofnesting a first ballast fillable member within the cubic dimension of asecond ballast fillable member without substantially increasing thecubic volume of the first ballast fillable member. A shipping containeris provided for receiving the first and second ballast fillable membersbefore or after nesting.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description, the accompanying drawings and theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable basketball system having aballast fillable base constructed in accordance with the principles ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective, exploded view of the ballast fillable base ofthe invention shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the dual tank construction ofthe base;

FIG. 3 is a perspective rear end view of a first tank of the two-pieceballast fillable base shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the first tank of the ballast fillable baseshown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of second tank of the two-piece ballast fillablebase shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a reduced side view of the second tank of the ballast fillablebase show in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a rear end perspective view of the assembled ballast fillablebase shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the assembled ballast fillable base shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the ballast fillable base takenalong line 9--9 in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the lower end of a support pole andsome of the hardware used to connect the lower end of the pole to theballast fillable base shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a top view of a portion of the second tank of the ballastfillable base shown in FIG. 5 illustrating positioning of the pole endshown in FIG. 10 in the pole mount;

FIG. 12 is a rear end perspective view of the ballast fillable baseshown in FIG. 1 illustrating the connection of the support pole thereto;

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the ballast fillable base shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of the broken-line area of thebase shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a rear perspective view of the portable basketball systemshown in FIG. 1 being filled with ballast and illustrating the rope andtie-down stake used to secure the assembly to the ground;

FIG. 16A is a perspective view of the ballast fillable base shown inFIG. 2 illustrating a compact arrangement for disposition in arelatively flat container;

FIG. 16B is a top view of the ballast fillable base as shown in FIG.16A;

FIG. 16C is a bottom view of the ballast fillable base as shown in FIG.16A;

FIG. 16D is a cross sectional view taken along line 16D--16D shown inFIG. 16B;

FIG. 17 is a partially cut-away side view of a portable basketballsystem having a pole mounting system in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a portable basketball system inaccordance with a further embodiment of the invention in which the poleis mounted at the front of the two-piece ballast fillable base;

FIG. 19A is an exploded, perspective view of the two-piece ballastfillable base of the portable basketball system shown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 19B is a perspective view of a portable basketball system inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention where the pole ismounted at the front of the ballast fillable base;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the inventionin which the pole is mounted at the front of the two-piece ballastfillable base;

FIG. 21 is an exploded view of the ballast fillable base of the portablebasketball system shown in FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view illustrating a compact arrangement of theballast fillable base of the portable basketball system shown in FIG.20;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a ballast fillable base of a portablebasketball system in accordance with yet another embodiment of theinvention in which the pole is mounted at the front of the two-pieceballast fillable base;

FIG. 24 is an exploded view of the two-piece ballast fillable base shownin FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a portable basketball system inaccordance with a further embodiment of the invention in which the poleis mounted at the front of the two-piece ballast fillable base;

FIG. 26 is an exploded view of the two-piece ballast fillable base ofthe portable basketball system shown in FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view illustrating a compact arrangement of thetwo-piece base of the portable basketball system shown in FIG. 25;

FIG. 28 is an exploded, perspective view of a ballast fillable base fora portable basketball system in accordance with another embodiment ofthe invention in which the pole is mounted at the front of the two-pieceballast fillable base;

FIG. 29 is a top view of a ballast fillable base of a portablebasketball system in an expanded position in accordance with a furtherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 30 is a side view of the portable basketball system shown in FIG.29.

FIG. 31 is a top view of a compact position of the ballast fillable basein accordance with the further embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.29; and

FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 32--32 of FIG. 31.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a portable basketball system of the invention isshown generally at 10. Portable basketball system 10 generally includesa two-piece, ballast fillable base 12, a basketball support pole 14, abackboard 16 and a goal 18. Goal 18 includes rim 18a, support arms 18b,and a mounting bracket 18c. A lower end of backboard support pole 14 ismounted on a rear end 20 of ballast fillable base 12, and an upper endof basketball support pole 14 extends towards front end 22 of ballastfillable base 12 such that pole 14 is disposed in a substantiallyupright position, but at an angle, preferably, 20 degrees to vertical.

By forwardly angling pole 14 toward front end 22 of ballast fillablebase 12, pole 14 is loaded in compression along its longitudinal axiswhich reduces bending due to the weight of pole 14, backboard 16 andattached structure. This loading also reduces the tendency of pole 14and backboard 16 to wave by transferring a greater load down pole 14than if it were in a vertical position. It also allows for use of a polehaving a smaller diameter than would be required if a vertically mountedpole were used. However, as will be illustrated in other embodiments ofthe invention, a vertically mounted pole may be used with the invention.

Pole 14 as illustrated has a circular cross section. However, other polecross sectional shapes may be used, such as square; "pear"-shaped, asdescribed in parent patent application Ser. No. 08/593,322; or othergeometric or irregularly shaped cross sections having suitable strengthand rigidity. Support struts 24 extend from front end 22 of ballastfillable base 12 to collar 26 mounted on pole 14. The upper end ofbasketball support pole 14 supports backboard 16 by way of support armsor other conventional hardware (not shown). Mounting bracket 18c of goal18 is mounted on a front face of backboard 16 in any conventional mannerand a net 28 hangs from goal 18, preferably with use of net clips asdisclosed in the assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,883 to Allen et al., andU.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/540,127 filed, Apr. 30, 1996, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Wheels 15 mayalso be included on front end 22 of ballast fillable base 12. One typeof suitable wheel construction is disclosed in parent patent applicationSer. No. 08/593,322.

Any of a variety of types and sizes of backboards may be used in theportable basketball system of the invention, including backboards madeof molded plastic. Decorative recesses or grooves 17 may be integrallymolded in the front face and/or sides of the backboard as disclosed inparent patent application Ser. No. 08/190,194. The recesses or groovesmay be provided in a distinctive pattern, in whole or in part, as shownin the assignee's U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 362,881 and 371,813, forexample, the disclosures of which also are incorporated herein byreference.

Ballast fillable base 12 has a two-piece construction defined by aprimary ballast fillable tank 30 in engagement with a secondary ballastfillable tank 32. In the assembled position as shown in FIG. 1,secondary ballast fillable tank 32 is rearwardly disposed in primaryballast fillable tank 30. In particular, secondary ballast fillable tank32 is disposed at rear end 20 of ballast fillable base 12 and extendsbeyond primary ballast fillable tank 30 so as to position as muchballast as practical toward rear end 20 of system 10, thereby increasingthe overall footprint of ballast fillable base 12 in an assembledposition for play, but not beyond reasonable constraints. In theembodiment shown, second ballast fillable tank 32 increases thefootprint of primary ballast fillable tank 30 by about 25% so that theoverall footprint of ballast fillable base 12 has a preferred length ofabout 581/2 inches, a preferred width of about 34 inches and a preferredheight or depth of about 8 inches, for example. By placing ballast asfar from front end 22 of base 12 as possible in the preferredembodiment, more pullover force is required to topple the rearpole-mounted system 10, thereby increasing the stability of system 10.Moreover, system 10 provides sufficient stability to support larger,heavier backboards, such as a 48" composite backboard or a 44" steel orcomposite framed acrylic backboard.

As shown in FIG. 2, primary ballast fillable tank 30 and secondaryballast fillable tank 32 each have an exterior contour configured forcooperative engagement with the other. As will be discussed in greaterdetail with reference to FIGS. 3-9, primary ballast fillable tank 30 hasa substantially central opening 34 extending completely through primaryballast fillable tank 30 and an indentation 36 forming a reduced depthsection extending rearwardly from opening 34 to rear end 42 of primaryballast fillable tank 30. Secondary ballast fillable tank 32 has a neck38 extending from a main body 40. Thus, secondary ballast fillable tank32 can be nested in the rearward exterior contour of primary ballastfillable tank 30 in the assembled position, as shown in FIG. 1.

Primary ballast fillable tank has a first longitudinal axis L₁, andsecondary ballast fillable tank 32 has a second longitudinal axis L₂.Axes L₁ and L₂ preferably are substantially parallel to each other inboth the compact and expanded positions. When secondary ballast fillabletank 32 is disposed in the expanded position it is disposed in a firstdirection D_(E) along longitudinal axis L₂. When arranged in the compactposition, as shown by broken lines in FIG. 2, secondary ballast fillablemember 32 is positioned in a second direction D_(C) along longitudinalaxis L₂, opposite to the first direction D_(E). One way to repositionsecondary ballast fillable tank 32 is by rotating the same ±180° aroundthe z-axis as shown schematically by arrows D_(Z).

Thus, the exterior contours of primary ballast fillable tank 30 andsecondary ballast fillable tank 32 are particularly unique because theyare formed such that secondary ballast fillable tank 32 can bepositioned for nesting in primary ballast fillable tank 32 in either: 1)the assembled position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7-9; or 2) in a compactposition for shipping/storage, which is discussed later with referenceto FIGS. 16A-16D. Therefore, primary ballast fillable tank 30 andsecondary ballast fillable tank 32 may have various configurations solong as they are capable of cooperative engagement in two different waysdefining an assembled position having a larger footprint for play and acompact position for shipping/storage.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the details of primary ballast fillabletank 30 will be discussed. Primary ballast fillable tank 30 is a hollowmember having a generally rectangular cubic configuration and may beformed from polyolefin material, preferably polyethylene. The preferredmethod of making primary ballast fillable tank 30 is a conventionalrotational molding process. Primary ballast fillable tank 30 has a top44, a bottom 46 opposing top 44, a front end 48 opposing rear end 42,and lateral sides 50 and 52. Raised portions 31 and 33 are provided onlateral sides 50 and 52 at rear end 42.

Central opening 34 extends through primary ballast fillable tank 30 soas to be disposed more towards front end 48 than rear end 42. Opening 34has one end that opens at top 44 and another end that opens on to bottom46. Opening 34 forms a generally rounded cylindrical shape. Indentation36 extends from a rear side of opening 34 towards rear end 42 of primaryballast fillable base 30, and is defined by a land 54 disposed betweenopening 34, rear end 42 and sides 35, 39 of raised portions 31, 33 atlateral sides 50,52 of tank 30. Primary ballast fillable tank 30 at land54 has a depth of approximately half the depth, e.g. approximately fourinches, of the remainder of primary ballast fillable tank 30 due toindentation 36. As mentioned earlier, primary ballast fillable tank 30preferably has a depth of approximately eight inches.

Primary ballast fillable tank 30 is substantially hollow so it can befilled with ballast material, such as water or sand or other suitablematerial known in the art, to provide the requisite stability for system10 during play. Accordingly, fill holes 56a having, for example, a threeinch diameter provided at rear end 42 are in communication with theinterior of primary ballast fillable tank 30 to allow primary ballastfillable tank 30 to be filled and emptied as necessary. Snap fit caps56b are provided for closing fill holes 56a. Any convenient number offill holes 56a and corresponding caps 56b may be provided. The vicinityaround fill holes 56a at rear end 42 of primary ballast fillable tank 30has a slightly larger depth than front end 48 so that fill holes 56a arepositioned higher than most of top 44. By doing this, primary ballastfillable tank 30 can be completely filled without the formation of anair pocket within primary ballast fillable tank 30.

In accordance with the angled and rear mounted pole 14 of thisembodiment, a pole mount 58 may be formed on land 54 at rear end 42 ofprimary ballast fillable tank 30 to support pole 14 when secondaryballast fillable tank 32 is not utilized. For example, primary ballastfillable tank 30 may be used alone and still provide adequate stability,especially, when smaller backboards are used. However, as will bediscussed later in connection with FIG. 9, when secondary ballastfillable tank 32 is utilized, pole mount 58 is only utilized for itspassageway 60 extending from top 44 to bottom 46 of primary ballastfillable tank 30.

Pole mount 58 includes an inclined surface 62 that is substantiallyplanar for engagement with the lower end of pole 14 and has a generallycircular shape corresponding to the shape of pole 14, however, othershapes may be used to accommodate different shaped poles. Inclinedsurface 62 has a positive slope extending in a direction from front end48 toward rear end 42. The angle of incline of inclined surface 62generally defines the angle at which pole 14 is disposed, whichpreferably is twenty degrees as noted above.

Passageway 60 passes through primary ballast fillable tank 30 with oneend opening centrally on inclined surface 62 and the other end openingat bottom 46 of primary ballast fillable tank 30. A slight transitionarea 64 is formed on a top surface of land 54 adjacent to the lower endof inclined surface 62 to facilitate alignment and placement of thelower end of basketball support pole 14 on inclined surface 62. A pairof protuberances 66 project upwardly from the top surface of land 54.Protuberances 66 are disposed one each on diametrically opposed sides ofinclined surface 62. At the top of protuberance 66 is a notch 68 forreceiving and supporting a pole rod 102, as will be discussed in detaillater.

Front end 48 of primary ballast fillable tank 30 also includes wheelwells 72 for mounting wheels 15 on primary ballast fillable tank 30. Inaddition, the exterior contour of primary ballast fillable tank 30 mayinclude recesses 74 on front end 48 of primary ballast fillable tank 30for mounting support struts 24. Primary ballast fillable tank 30 mayalso include ornamental ribs 70 integrally molded in the exteriorcontour.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a top and side view, respectively, of secondaryballast fillable tank 32, which, similar to primary ballast fillabletank 30 is a hollow molded member made from polyolefin material,preferably polyethylene using a rotational molding process. However,those skilled in the art would recognize other ways of making secondaryballast fillable tank 32 as well as primary ballast fillable tank 30.

Secondary ballast fillable tank 32 has a top 76; a bottom 78 having abi-planar or stepped surface including a first portion 78a and a secondportion 78b; opposing ends 80 and 82; and sides 84 and 86. As discussedearlier, secondary ballast fillable tank 32 generally includes main body40 and a neck 38 extending therefrom. Main body 32 has a depthsubstantially equal to the depth of primary ballast fillable tank 30,approximately eight inches, and neck 38 has approximately one-half thedepth of main body 32.

Centrally disposed on top 76 of secondary ballast fillable tank 32 is apole mount 88 for mounting pole 14 as shown in FIG. 1. Pole mount 88includes a substantially cylindrical recess 90 having a side wall thattapers inwardly from top 76 toward bottom 78. At the bottom of recess 90is an inclined surface 92 that tapers downwardly in the direction fromend 82 toward end 80. Similar to primary ballast fillable tank 32,surface 92 is inclined at an angle generally defining the angle ofincline of pole 14, which is preferably approximately twenty degrees.

On diametrically opposed sides of recess 90 are cut-away portions 94each having a bottom surface 95 that is raised slightly above inclinedsurface 92. Bottom surface 95 is raised above inclined surface 92approximately to the same extent that pole 14 extends beyond pole rod100 as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11. Bottom 95 of cut-away portions 94is curved to form a pivot point engageable with pole rod 100 topivotally mount pole 14 on base 12, as discussed later with reference toFIGS. 10 and 11. As such a pair of arcuate ribs 98 and 99 are formed onincline surface 92 to facilitate alignment and positioning of the lowerend of either a 3 inch pole or a 31/2 inch pole, which are the mostcommonly used pole sizes. The wall of a 31/2 inch pole would bepositioned between rib 99 and the sidewall of recess 90, whereas thesidewall of a 3 inch pole would be positioned between ribs 98 and 99.The shape and positioning of ribs 98, 99 can be changed to accommodatedifferent size poles.

A passageway 96 passes through secondary ballast fillable tank 32 andhas one end opening onto inclined surface 92 and the other end openingat bottom 78 of secondary ballast fillable tank 32 for purposes ofconnecting pole 14 to base 12 as discussed later. Similar to primaryballast fillable tank 30, secondary ballast fillable tank 32 includesone or more ballast fillable holes 56a and caps 56b.

Referring to FIGS. 7-9, the details of the assembled position of ballastfillable base 12 shown in FIG. 1 will be discussed. When arranged in theassembled position shown in FIG. 1, neck 38 of secondary ballastfillable tank 32 is nested in indentation 36 of primary ballast fillabletank 30. Specifically, second portion 78b of bottom 78 of secondaryballast fillable tank 32 contacts the top surface of land 54 atindentation 36 of primary ballast fillable tank 30. Sides 84 and 86 ofsecondary ballast fillable tank 32 are received and retained betweensides 35 and 39 of raised portions 31 and 33 of primary ballast fillabletank 30. Shoulder 37 of secondary ballast fillable tank 32 rests againstrear end 42 of primary ballast fillable tank 30 such that main body 40of secondary ballast fillable tank 32 extends beyond rear end 42 ofprimary ballast fillable tank 30. As illustrated in the cross sectionalview of FIG. 9, in the assembled position, second ballast fillable tank32 extends beyond an outer periphery of rear end 42 of primary ballastfillable tank 30.

As further illustrated in the cross section view of FIG. 9, whensecondary ballast fillable tank 32 is rearwardly disposed on primaryballast fillable tank 30, passageway 60 of pole mount 58 of primaryballast fillable tank 30 is alignable with passageway 96 of pole mount88 of secondary ballast fillable tank 32. Accordingly, a contiguouspassageway shown generally at 61 in FIG. 9, defined by passageways 60and 96 extends through ballast fillable base 12 in the assembledposition for receiving and retaining pole 14 to facilitate mounting ofpole 14 and connection of secondary ballast fillable tank 32 to primaryballast fillable tank 30 as will now be discussed with reference toFIGS. 10-13.

During assembly, pole rod 100 is passed through the cross section ofpole 14 via an opening on one side of the lower end of basketballsupport pole 14, then is passed through an eye of an eye bolt 102, andfinally is passed through an other opening in pole 14, which isdiametrically opposed to the one opening. Pole 14 is then ready to bemounted on either pole mount 58 on primary ballast fillable tank 30 orpole mount 88 on secondary ballast fillable tank 32 depending upon thesize of system 10 and the load that ballast fillable base 12 will haveto support. For purposes of this discussion, pole mount 88 of secondaryballast fillable tank 32 is discussed, however, the mounting of pole 14on pole mount 58 is substantially similar except that only primaryballast fillable tank 30 is used.

With reference to FIG. 11, threaded end 104 of eye bolt 102 is passedthrough passageway 96 in secondary ballast fillable tank 32 and thencontinues on to pass through passageway 60 in primary ballast fillabletank 30 until the two ends of pole rod 100 which extend outwardly frompole 14 come to rest on bottom surface 95 of cut-away portions 94.

As shown in FIGS. 12-14, once pole 14 is in position, threaded end 104of eye bolt 102 may be secured to ballast fillable base 12 by a plate106 and nut 108, which attach, sequentially, to threaded end 104 of eyebolt 102. By tightening nut 108, pole 14, secondary ballast fillabletank 32, and primary ballast fillable tank 30 are secured together.Recess 110 also serves to hold plate 106 in position when nut 108 istightened on threaded end 104 of eye bolt 102. Of course, pole 14,primary ballast fillable tank 30 and secondary ballast fillable tank 32may be secured together in different combinations or by otherconventional apparatus.

FIG. 15 illustrates utilizing hoses 112 to fill primary ballast fillabletank 30 and secondary ballast fillable tank 32 with water via fill-holes56a. In combination, primary ballast fillable tank 30 and secondaryballast fillable tank 32 will hold approximately 24-34 gallons of wateror approximately 300-375 pounds of sand. After filling both primaryballast fillable tank 30 and secondary ballast fillable tank 32, snapcaps 56b are fit into fill holes 56a seal primary ballast fillable tank30 and secondary ballast fillable tank 32. Portable basketball system 10may include a secondary restraint system such as a ground stake tofurther secure system 10 to the ground. As shown, the secondary restrainground stake includes rope 114 and stake 116. With the use of thissecondary restraint system, system 10 has approximately a 275 poundpullover force when primary ballast fillable tank 30 and secondaryballast fillable tank 32 are filled with water.

In another aspect of the invention, secondary ballast fillable tank 32is removable from primary ballast fillable tank 30, and is cooperativelyengageable in a second, more compact position especially adapted forshipping or storage as shown in FIGS. 16A-16D. As illustrated in FIGS.16A and 16B, main body 40 of secondary ballast fillable tank 32 isreceived in opening 34 of primary ballast fillable tank 30; and neck 38of ballast fillable tank 32 rests on land 54 between raised sections 31,33 of primary ballast fillable tank 30. In other words, as discussedearlier with reference to FIG. 2, to change between the assembled andthe compact positions, second ballast fillable tank 32 is simply movedbetween an orientation in the first direction D_(E) and an orientationin the second direction D_(C), for example, by rotating the same ±180degrees around the z-axis. Thus, the compact position has a smallerfootprint than the expanded assembled arrangement shown in FIG. 1because second ballast fillable tank 32 is disposed substantially withinthe exterior contour and dimensions of primary ballast fillable tank 30,rather than extending outwardly therefrom as in the assembled position.In other words, in the compact position, the length, width and depthdefining the cubic volume of space occupied by primary ballast fillabletank 30 is not substantially increased, if at all, when secondaryballast fillable tank 32 is nested within the profile of primary ballastfillable tank 30. Ballast fillable base 12 has, for example, a cubicdimension of approximately 14.58 feet³, which due to nesting ofsecondary ballast fillable tank 32 is defined substantially or entirelyby the cubic volume of primary ballast fillable tank 30. Accordingly, inthe compact position, ballast fillable base 12 can be stored and shippedin a smaller amount of space and, in particular, shipped in a relativelyflat container shown generally at 44, which preferably has a height justlarge enough to accommodate the 8" depth of tank 32 and any othercomponents placed above or below base 12.

To further reduce the shipping volume, bottom 46 of primary ballastfillable tank 30 and portion 78a of bottom 78 of secondary ballastfillable tank 32 may be configured to nest goal 18 therein duringshipping/storage, as illustrated in FIGS. 16C and 16D. In particular,bottom 46 of primary ballast fillable tank 30 has a substantiallyrectangular shaped notch 6 in central opening 34 at front end 48 ofprimary ballast fillable tank 30. Bottom 46 of primary ballast fillabletank 30 also has an arcuate recess 4 having a shape corresponding to thearcuate shape of rim 18a of goal 18. Arcuate recess 4 has a depthsubstantially equal to the depth of rim 18a of goal 18. Portion 78a ofbottom 78 of secondary ballast fillable tank 32 has a substantiallyV-shaped recess 2 having distal ends 2a and 2b, a base end 2c and abottom 2d. Base end 2c is alignable with notch 6 in primary ballastfillable tank 30 and has a depth substantially equal to a depth of notch6 as illustrated in FIG. 16D. Bottom 2d of V-shaped recess 2 has avariable depth that decreases from base end 2c toward distal ends 2a and2b as also illustrated in the cross sectional view of FIG. 16D. Distalends 2a and 2b of V-shaped recess 2 are alignable with arcuate recess 4on bottom 46 of primary ballast fillable tank 30. The depth andconfiguration of arcuate recess 4, V-shaped recess 2 and notch 6 is suchthat goal 18 is capable of being nested within ballast fillable base 12for purposes of compact shipping. In particular, arms 18b extendingbetween bracket 18c and rim 18a of goal 18 are nested in V-shaped recess2; bracket 18c of goal 18 is nested in notch 6 and base end 2c ofV-shaped recess 2; and rim 18 is nested in arcuate recess 4.

As shown best in FIGS. 13, 14 and FIG. 16D, bottom 46 of primary ballastfillable tank 30 includes raised surfaces forming feet 47 at rear end42. A pair of elongated recesses 49 extending between front end 42 andrear end 48 to provide structural rigidity to primary ballast fillabletank 30. Recess 110 also extends longitudinally and provides structuralrigidity, as well as, a place for receiving pole mounting plate 106.First portion 78a of bottom 78 of secondary ballast fillable tank 32 hasa recess 111 for providing structural rigidity that is alignable withrecess 110 in primary ballast fillable tank 30 in the assembledposition. Recess 2 defines a central foot 115 and feet 117. Feet 47 ofprimary ballast fillable tank 30, feet 115 and 117 of secondary ballastfillable member 32 and wheels 15 (shown in FIG. 1), if provided, form acontinuous support surface which rests upon the ground or other playingsurface.

Various other embodiments of the invention will now be discussed. Onlyfeatures of the invention that differ significantly from those discussedabove are described in detail. FIG. 17 shows a partially cut-away viewof an alternate embodiment of the invention where ballast fillable base12 has a modified pole mounting system. In particular, secondary ballastfillable tank 132 has an opening 118 sized to allow basketball supportpole 14 to pass therethrough. Primary ballast fillable tank 130 has arecess 120 alignable with opening 118 in secondary ballast fillable tank132. Opening 118 has cut-outs (not shown) for supporting pole rod 100 inthe same manner as discussed earlier. The bottom of recess 120 includesan inclined surface 122 (again, preferably 20 degrees to the vertical)with an opening for receiving a pole connector. Pole 14 is secured toprimary ballast fillable tank 130 in the same manner as discussedearlier with reference to FIGS. 10-14, however, angled supports struts124 (only one of which is shown) are utilized. Secondary ballastfillable tank 132 is held in position by pole 14 passing therethrough.

FIGS. 18 and 19A show another embodiment of the invention where pole 14is vertically mounted at front end 222 of two-piece ballast fillablebase 212 by any conventional means and pole 14 is supported by a supportarm in the form of a unitary strut 224. Primary ballast fillable tank230 is formed with a through opening 234 and indentation 236 defined inpart by arcuate concave side walls 231a and 231b, of raised basesections 231 and 233, respectively. Neck 238 of secondary ballastfillable tank 232 is formed with arcuate convex side walls 238a and238b, which generally match the contour of base side walls 231a and231b. Neck 236 may be fitted into indentation 236 in a first directionsuch that secondary ballast fillable tank 232 is nested in primaryballast fillable tank 230 (not shown). In addition, neck 236 and land254 include alignable openings 130 and 128, respectively, which areutilized to secure secondary ballast fillable tank 232, primary ballastfillable tank 230 and strut 224 together. Opening 130 has an annularshoulder 258. An elongated threaded bolt 260 passes through opening 266in strut 224, through opening 128 in primary ballast fillable tank 230,through opening 130 in secondary ballast fillable tank 232, and throughwasher 262 which rests upon shoulder 258 for connection to nut 264.However, bolt 260 may be passed through these parts in the oppositedirection such that nut 264 would be on the bottom of strut 224, ratherthan on top of washer 262. By tightening nut 264 on bolt 260, strut 224,primary ballast fillable tank 230, and secondary ballast fillable tank232 are secured together. The exposed washer 262, nut 264 and the end ofbolt 260 on the top of secondary ballast fillable tank 232 can becovered by a cap 266. The free ends 224a and 224b of strut 224 areconnected to pole 14 in any conventional manner and may include holes224c for this purpose.

FIG. 19B shows a variation of the embodiment of FIGS. 18 and 19A, whereprimary ballast fillable tank 292, including indentation 290, andsecondary ballast fillable tank 296, including neck 294 are shapedsimilarly to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. However, the connectionfeatures of this embodiment are similar to those discussed immediatelyabove with reference to the FIGS. 18 and 19A embodiment and thereforeneed not be discussed in detail again.

FIGS. 20-22 show another embodiment constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the invention where the pole is mounted at the front of atwo-piece ballast fillable base, which takes the form of secondaryballast fillable tank 432 slidable relative to primary ballast fillabletank 430 between a compact shipping/storage position (FIG. 22) and anassembled, expanded position (FIG. 20). In particular, a bottom surface401 on the bottom of ballast fillable tank 432 is slidable on topsurface 403 of primary ballast fillable tank 430. Secondary ballastfillable tank 432 shown in the compact position in FIG. 22 is slidablein a first direction DE to the expanded position shown in FIG. 20.Secondary ballast fillable tank 432 shown in the expanded position inFIG. 20 is slidable in a second direction D_(C) to the compact positionshown in FIG. 22. This embodiment includes a vertically disposed pole14.

The sides of primary ballast fillable tank 430 and secondary ballastfillable tank 432 are configured with recesses 430a and 432a toaccommodate a U-shaped strut 424, which is similar to strut 224discussed in FIGS. 18, 19A and 19B, however, includes two openings 466for receiving two bolts 264 to connect strut 466 and primary andsecondary ballast fillable tanks 430 and 432 together. In thisembodiment, because primary ballast fillable tank 430 is formed with aV-shaped notch 450, an opening 452 need only be formed through secondaryballast fillable tank 432 for this connection. An insert 454 having aninclined, camming surface 456 is positionable in opening 452 andopenings 458 allow bolts 260 to be passed therethrough. Similar to theprevious embodiment, when nuts 264 and bolts 260 are tightened,respectively, primary ballast fillable base 430, secondary ballastfillable base 432, and strut 424 are secured together.

FIGS. 23 and 24 show an alternative of this slidable ballast tankembodiment in which secondary ballast fillable member 532 is slidable onsurface 530a of primary ballast fillable tank 530 from the expandedposition (FIG. 23) to the compact position (not shown); and the unitarystrut 424 is replaced with a pair of L-shaped struts 524 for connectingpole 14 to flanges 550a and 551a extending respectively from each sideof primary ballast fillable tank 530 and secondary ballast fillable tank532. Struts 524 have openings 524a for connection to pole 14 andopenings 524b on the other end for connection to base 512. Flanges 550aand 551a extending from secondary and primary ballast fillable tanks 532and 530, respectively, each have three openings 550b and 551b,respectively, corresponding to openings 524b on struts 524. Openings550b, 551b and 524b in flanges 550a and 551a, and strut 524 arealignable to receive a connector, such as a bolt (not shown), that issecured by a nut (not shown).

FIGS. 25-27 show yet another embodiment of the invention having a frontmounted pole, secondary ballast fillable tank 632 and primary ballastfillable tank 630. In this embodiment, the two-piece ballast fillablebase is defined by an assembled position (FIG. 25) and a compactshipping/storage position (FIG. 27). In the expanded position, openings640 in second ballast fillable tank 632 are alignable with openings 642in primary ballast fillable tank 630 to receive bolts 260 therethroughas illustrated in FIG. 26. The bottom of secondary ballast fillable tank30 has surfaces 694, 698 and shoulder 696 therebetween and the top andrear end of primary ballast fillable tank 630 has cooperating shoulders690 and 691 and top surface 692. In the expanded position (FIG. 25),bottom surface 698 contacts the supporting surface (e.g. the ground) andshoulder 696 and surface 694 contact shoulder 691 and top surface 692,respectively such that secondary ballast fillable tank 632 extends pastthe rear end of tank 632. When in a compact position as shown in FIG.27, bottom surface 698 contacts top surface 692; shoulder 696 contactsshoulder 690; and bottom surface 694 contacts top surface 693. Strut 624is formed such that openings 266 therein are alignable with openings 640and 642. Accordingly, strut 624, primary ballast fillable tank 630 andsecondary ballast fillable tank 632 are capable of being securedtogether.

FIG. 28 shows another front-mounted pole embodiment of the inventionwhere the two-piece ballast fillable base is defined by primary ballastfillable tank 320 including raised sections 331 and 333 extending theentire length of primary ballast fillable tank 330. Opening 334 isbounded laterally by sidewalls 331a and 333a each including a groove 134extending from top 344 to bottom 346 of primary ballast fillable tank330. Indentation 336 extends rearwardly from opening 334 to the rear endof tank 320 and is defined by land 354 having top surface 354a, and theportions of sidewalls 331a, 333a disposed above surface 354a. Secondaryballast fillable tank 332 includes protuberances 142 extending outwardlyfrom sides 384 and 386 and extending along sides 384, 386 of secondaryballast fillable tank 332 from top 376 to portion 378a of bottom 378. Arecess 377 is formed in top 376. In particular, protuberances 142 areslidable into recesses 134 such that bottom 378a contacts top surface354a of land 354. Protuberances 142 are engaged with recesses 134 toconnect primary and secondary ballast fillable tank 330 and 332 togetherand prevent lateral shifting movement of secondary ballast fillable tank332 in the expanded position. Similar to the other embodiments describedabove, secondary tank 332 may be received within opening 334 to define acompact configuration of the base.

FIGS. 29 and 30 illustrate schematically yet another embodiment of theinvention where secondary ballast fillable tank 732 includes a lip 744shown in phantom for interlocking secondary ballast fillable tank 632with primary ballast fillable tank 630 in an expanded position (FIG. 29)such that secondary ballast fillable tank 372 is rearwardly disposedbeyond rear end 742 of primary ballast fillable tank 730. As shown inFIGS. 31 and 32, secondary ballast fillable tank 732 has a bottom 778including a recess 779 extending from side 784 to side 786 and anarcuate recess 785, which may be formed in secondary ballast fillabletank 732 alone (as shown) or in combination with primary ballastfillable tank 730 (not shown). In the expanded position (FIG. 29),recess 779 receives land 754 on rear end 742 of primary ballast fillabletank 730 such that lip 744 is disposed in opening 734 adjacent the rearboundary of the opening. In the compact position shown in FIG. 31,secondary ballast fillable tank 732 is disposed substantially entirelyin opening 734. Accordingly, recess 779 and arcuate recess 785 mayreceive a goal 718 or other components or hardware in the compactposition for purposes of compact shipping and storage.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable basketball goal system, comprising:abasketball backboard and goal assembly; a support member having a firstend and a second end, the first end of said support member being coupledto said basketball backboard; and a base coupled to the second end ofsaid support member and havinga first ballast fillable member; and asecond ballast fillable member engageable with said first ballastfillable member in a first position defining a compact configuration ofsaid ballast fillable members and a second position defining an expandedconfiguration of said ballast fillable members.
 2. A portable basketballgoal system according to claim 1, wherein said first ballast fillablemember has an exterior contour adapted to receive said second ballastfillable member in the compact and the expanded configurations.
 3. Aportable basketball goal system according to claim 2, wherein saidexterior contour of said first ballast fillable member includes at leastone of an indentation, a recess, a notch, and an opening adapted toreceive said second ballast fillable member.
 4. A portable basketballgoal system according to claim 1, wherein said first ballast fillablemember has an outer perimeter and a portion of said second ballastfillable member extends beyond said outer perimeter in said expandedconfiguration.
 5. A portable basketball goal system according to claim4, wherein said first ballast fillable member has a rear end and saidportion of said second ballast fillable member extends beyond said rearend in said expanded configuration.
 6. A portable basketball goal systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the compact configuration defines a firstfootprint for the basketball goal system and the expanded configurationdefines a second footprint for the basketball system larger than saidfirst footprint.
 7. A portable basketball goal system according to claim1, wherein said first ballast fillable member has a first depth, saidsecond ballast fillable member has a second depth, said second ballastfillable member being substantially confined within said first depth ofsaid first ballast fillable member in the compact configuration.
 8. Aportable basketball goal system according to claim 1, wherein said firstand second ballast fillable members together occupy a first dimension inthe compact configuration and a second dimension, larger than said firstdimension, in the expanded configuration.
 9. A portable basketball goalsystem according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said secondballast fillable member is nested in said first ballast fillable memberin the compact configuration and the expanded configuration.
 10. Aportable basketball goal system according to claim 1, wherein saidsecond ballast fillable member has a main portion and a neck portion,and said first ballast fillable member has a substantially centrallydisposed opening and a recessed portion extending outwardly from saidopening toward a rear end of the base, said neck portion of said secondballast fillable member being disposed in said recessed portion of saidfirst ballast fillable member in both the compact configuration and theexpanded configuration, and said main portion of said second ballastfillable member being disposed in said opening of said first ballastfillable member in the compact configuration and spaced apart from saidopening in the expanded configuration.
 11. A portable basketball goalsystem according to claim 1, further comprising:a connector adapted tocouple said first ballast fillable member to said second ballastfillable member.
 12. A portable basketball goal system according toclaim 11, wherein said connector attaches said support member to thebase.
 13. A portable basketball goal system according to claim 1,wherein said base has an inclined surface upon which said support memberis mounted.
 14. A portable basketball goal system according to claim 13,wherein said inclined surface is disposed near a rear end of the base.15. A portable basketball goal system according to claim 13, whereinsaid inclined surface is disposed on at least one of said first ballastfillable member and said second ballast fillable member.
 16. A portablebasketball goal system according to claim 1, wherein said first ballastfillable member is adapted to mount said support member and furthercomprises a fastener passing through said first and second ballastfillable members to attach said support member to the base.
 17. Aportable basketball goal system according to claim 1, wherein said basehas a front end and a rear end, with said support member being disposedat said rear end.
 18. A portable basketball goal system according toclaim 1, wherein said first ballast fillable member and said secondballast fillable member each have an opening to pass ballasttherethrough and a removable closure to close said opening.
 19. Aportable basketball goal system according to claim 1, further comprisinga removable connection between said second ballast fillable member andsaid first ballast fillable member.
 20. A portable basketball goalsystem according to claim 19, wherein said removable connectioncomprises interlocking surfaces provided on said first ballast fillablemember and said second ballast fillable member.
 21. A portablebasketball goal system according to claim 1, wherein said first ballastfillable member has a top, a bottom and sides and said second ballastfillable member is engageable with at least one of said top, said bottomand said sides.
 22. A portable basketball goal system according to claim1, wherein said second ballast fillable member is disposed in a firstdirection in the compact configuration and a second direction, oppositeto said first direction, in said expanded configuration.
 23. A portablebasketball goal system according to claim 1, wherein said second ballastfillable member is slidable on a top surface of said first ballastfillable member between said compact configuration and said expandedconfiguration.
 24. A portable basketball goal system according to claim1, wherein at least one of said first and second ballast fillablemembers is adapted to receive a basketball goal.
 25. A portablebasketball goal system according to claim 24, wherein said at least oneof said first and second ballast fillable members has a recess adaptedto receive a basketball goal.
 26. A portable basketball system supportcomprising:a support member; a ballast fillable base having an exteriorcontour and supporting the support member in an upright position; and aballast fillable adapter receivable by said ballast fillable base;wherein said exterior contour of said ballast fillable base is adaptedto receive said ballast fillable adapter in a first disposition and asecond disposition when the support member is in the upright position,with the first disposition occupying a first dimension and the seconddisposition occupying a second dimension less than the first dimension.27. A support according to claim 26, further comprising a ballastfillable adapter disposed in said exterior contour of said ballastfillable base.
 28. A support according to claim 26, wherein said firstdisposition forms a first footprint of the basketball system and saidsecond disposition forms a second footprint of the basketball systemsmaller than said first footprint.
 29. A support according to claim 26,wherein said exterior contour includes at least one of an indentation, arecess, a notch and an opening adapted to receive said ballast fillableadapter.
 30. A support according to claim 27, further comprising aremovable connection between said ballast fillable adapter and saidballast fillable base.
 31. A support according to claim 27, wherein saidremovable connection comprises a surface on said ballast fillable basematingly engageable with a surface on said ballast fillable adapter. 32.A support according to claim 26, wherein said ballast fillable baseincludes a pole mount.
 33. A support according to claim 32, wherein saidpole mount includes an inclined surface at a rear end of said ballastfillable base.
 34. A support according to claim 26, wherein said ballastfillable base is adapted to receive at least a portion of a basketballgoal.
 35. A support according to claim 34, wherein said ballast fillablebase has a recess adapted to receive at least a portion of a basketballgoal.
 36. A kit a basketball parts for disposition within a relativelyflat shipping container and capable of assembly into a basketballsystem, said kit of basketball parts comprising:a basketball backboard;a basketball goal; a support member; and a base havinga first ballastfillable member having a height, a width and depth defining a firstcubic volume; and a second ballast fillable member adapted to receivesaid first ballast fillable member without substantially increasing thefirst cubic volume.
 37. A kit according to claim 36, wherein said firstballast fillable member is received within said second ballast fillablemember within the container to impede lateral shifting movement of saidfirst ballast fillable member.
 38. A kit according to claim 36, whereinsaid second ballast fillable member has an exterior contour adapted toreceive said first ballast fillable member.
 39. A kit according to claim36, wherein said exterior contour comprises at least one of anindentation, a recess, a notch, and an opening adapted to receive saidfirst ballast fillable member.
 40. A kit according to claim 36, whereinat least one of said first and second ballast fillable members isadapted to receive said goal.
 41. A kit according to claim 40, whereinsaid at least one of said first and second ballast fillable membersincludes a recess adapted to receive said goal.
 42. A method ofdistributing ballast for a base of a portable basketball system, saidmethod comprising the steps of:positioning a first ballast fillablemember of a basketball system on a support surface; engaging a secondballast fillable member with the first ballast fillable member such thata portion of said second ballast fillable member is disposed exterior tosaid first ballast fillable member; and coupling one end of a supportmember to the first ballast fillable member, such that the supportmember is in an upright position.
 43. A method according to claim 42,wherein said engaging step comprises positioning the second ballastfillable member at a rear end of the basketball system.
 44. A methodaccording to claim 42, wherein said engaging step comprises receiving aportion of the second ballast fillable member in an exterior contour ofthe first ballast fillable member.
 45. A method according to claim 42,further comprising the step of:removing the second ballast fillablemember from a first nested position within the first ballast fillablemember prior to said engaging step.
 46. A method according to claim 42,further comprising the step of:removably securing the first ballastfillable member and the second ballast fillable member together.